SAUGET, Ill. - Webster University Baseball extended its win streak to 11 straight games as the 18th-ranked Gorloks swept a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Fontbonne on Alumni Day at GSC Credit Union Ballpark.

The Gorloks opened the doubleheader by using a complete game pitching performance from junior Matt Mulhearn (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) to post a 3-2 win, before holding off a late rally by the Griffins to earn a 5-4 win in the nightcap. 

With the two wins, Webster improves to 26-8 overall and 16-3 in the league, while Fontbonne falls to 23-11 overall and 10-8 in the league. The two teams will conclude the three game series with a single game on Sunday, April 28 at ABC Park in Clayton, Mo.

In Saturday's doubleheader, Webster's offense, which came in averaging 10.7 runs and 11.4 hits per game over its last nine games, was held to a total of nine hits and eight runs, including five hits in the opener. 

While its offense had an off night, Webster's starting pitcher was dominant against the Griffins as Mulhearn and sophomore Sean Beaver (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) combined to toss 14 innings and allow nine hits and six runs, while walking one and striking out 14. 

The Gorloks opened the scoring in the opener by plating two unearned runs thanks to one hit and an error by Fontbonne second baseman Brandon Hinson. In the inning, senior rightfielder Nate Tholl (Tinley Park, Ill./John A. Logan CC) reached on Hinson's one-out fielding error, moved to second on a wild pitch by Alex Phillips and scored on an RBI double to left center off the bat of junior leftfielder A.J. Smith (DuQuoin, Ill./DuQuoin). The next run came home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior All-American first baseman Kyler Kent (Pottsboro, Texas/Pottsboro). 

Webster's lead grew to 3-0 in the bottom of the second as senior second baseman Danny Strohm (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) delivered a run scoring single up the middle that scored sophomore designated hitter Jake Knoebel (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East), who led off the inning with a single and moved to second on bunt by sophomore shortstop Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif./Saint Augustine). 

From that point, Webster turned the game over to Mulhearn as he would retire 17 consecutive batters after allowing a leadoff single to Jonathan Hoevelmann to open the game, who would be erased one batter later on a 5-4-3 double play.

The Griffins wouldn't go away quietly as they finally got to Mulhearn in the seventh inning as Hoevelmann reached on a leadoff single and would score one batter later when Gus Purschke drilled a 3-1 pitch from Mulhearn over the wall in left to drop WU's lead to 3-2. The single by Hoevelmann was the first base runner for the Griffins since Hoevelmann's first inning single. After Purschke's homer, Jackson Penrod single to right and then Mulhearn would walk Braeden Dobbs to put two runners on base with no outs. The junior righthander, though, would battle back as he retired the next three Griffins in order, including striking out Tyler Grimes to end the game with two runners on base. 

Mulhearn, who has now won his last five starts, allowed just four hits and two runs, while striking out seven and walking none to push his record to 9-1 on the season. During Webster's current 11 game win streak, Mulhearn has posted a 5-0 record and a 1.72 ERA and in 31.1 innings of work, he has tossed four complete games, one shutout and has recorded 31 strikeouts and four walks. 

Phillips (5-3) took the loss for the Griffins as he pitched six innings and allowed five hits and three runs (one earned), while striking out six and walking none.

Smith had two of Webster's five hits in the opener, while Hoevelmann collected two of Fontbonne's four hits in the loss.

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, FBU jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the third inning as Matt Manint drilled an 0-1 pitch from Beaver down the left field line and over the wall for a solo home run. The home run was aided by a strong wind that gusting over 20 miles per hour. 

The Gorloks tied game in the bottom of the third as they used one hit, two walks and two stolen bases to plate a run on an RBI single to right by junior centerfielder Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College). 

For the game, Webster stole 11 bases, including Hopp recording three steals to push his season total to 17, while Tholl had two steals to push his season total to 12. The 11 steals are tied for sixth most in a game in school history.

Webster would take the lead in the bottom of the fifth as they used one hit, an error, a walk and three stolen bases to plate two runs and take a 3-1 lead. In the inning, Hopp reached on a two-out error by Tyler Chambliss at second, moved to second on a stolen base and after Tholl walked to put runners on first and second, both Hopp and Tholl recorded double steals to put runners at second and third. The next batter, sophomore third baseman Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) followed with a 2-run single to right off of John Hughes, who started on the mound for the Griffins. 

Fontbonne would pull within 3-2 in the top of the seventh as Lance Chapman hit a solo homer over the wall in left with two outs off of Beaver. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Webster would add some needed insurance runs as used one hit, a hit batsman, a wild pitch and two stolen bases to plate two runs and take a 5-2 lead. In the inning, Knoebel brought home a run on a single to right center and added its second run on a wild pitch by Mike Jacobson. 

The Griffins would make things interesting in the top of the ninth off of Gorlok senior hurler Adrian Santiago (Chicago, Ill./Oakton College). In the inning, Santiago allowed three straight hits to open the inning, including a 2-run single by Michael Puckett, Jr. to pull FBU within a run at 5-4. Santiago, though, would battle back as he stuck out Matt Tossick for the first out, forced Chapman to fly out to center and then ended the game on ground out by Manint to seal his sixth save of the year. The sixth save is tied for third most in a single season.

Beaver (5-3) pitched the first seven innings and allowed five hits and two runs, while striking out seven and walking none. Santiago tossed two innings and allowed three hits and two runs, while striking out three and walking none.

Hughes (3-2) took the loss for FBU as he pitched five innings and allowed two hits and three runs (one earned), while walking six and striking out four. 

For the game, FBU's pitchers walked seven and hit three Gorlok batters. 

Webster had just four hits in the nightcap, while Tholl and Kent each drew two walks in the win.

Dobbs paced FBU with two of his team's eight hits. 

The Gorloks left seven runners on base, while FBU stranded four.